Nee’ka—the Trystonni word for wife.Wife?
“I can’t marry you,” shewhispered to her dream lover. “You will grow to resentme.”
“Never,” he softly rumbledout. “’Tis impossible, that.”
“You have to catch the evilone. That has always been more important to you than staying withme.”
Her dream lover seemed to hesitate. Shecould have sworn he even sighed. “Kara, I have made many mistakesin this life, yet none have been greater than leaving you for evena spell.”
“You’ll resentme.”
“Nay. Never that. I resentonly mine own foolishness.”
She smiled as she drifted off to sleepagain. “This isn’t really happening, but I still love hearing it.”Her voice trailed off. “Goodnight, my love.”
A deep slumber again overpowered her.Hallucinations, languid and arousing, caused her nipples to growerect. They felt like they were being sucked on, but that made nosense. She moaned regardless, the sensation so erotic. It was as ifshe was back in Crystal City still in Isar’s unyielding arms.
Isar. The only man she’d ever loved.
He still belonged to her in her dreams.
‘Twas the Chief Priestessherself whose counsel Isar had sought after returning from one ofhis quests to hunt down Kara. Ari had vowed unto him that his waitwould mayhap be long, but he would know victory in theend.
“Remember, warlord,” HerHoliness had told him, “the unconscious mind neverlies.”
“I do notunderstand…”
“You will. A moon-risingshall come where you will.”
Isar had nodded at her cryptic words andtaken his leave. Her prediction had haunted him for a time, butfaded o’er the years. Yet now, as he watched Kara slumber…
He hadn’t known precisely how long thestunning that resulted from his commanding her body to stillnesswould cause her to sleep. He felt nigh unto crazed waiting for herto awaken, yet the words she whispered in her subdued state madethe waiting more than worth it.
His hearts beat acceleratedas he gazed down at Kara. She loved him. Leastways, ‘twas difficultto say how long ‘twould be afore Kara admitted her feelings againwhilst awake, yet he now understood them to be true even somanyYessat-Yearslater.The unconscious mind neverlies.The Chief Priestess’ words werecryptic no more.
“I love you too, myhearts.” His deep voice was a quiet rumble. “Forever.”
Kara moaned and batted her eyelashes as sheslowly awoke. She had never experienced grogginess the likes ofwhich she was combatting now. It was all-consuming, much like apatient trying to awaken from the effects of anesthesia. Her mindknew she needed to regain consciousness, but her body was utterlyunaccommodating.
“I love you too, my hearts.Forever.”
She stilled. She knew that voice.
Memories floodedback—images, impressions, words, feelings,Isar—everything. The overstimulationwas painful to the point of causing her to gasp. What was the lastthing she remembered? Her eyes flew open. Her hands flew to herneck. The Trystonni bridal necklace.
The very piece of jewelry Klykka had warnedher about.
The very piece of jewelry that, once worn,could never be removed.
The very piece of jewelry that had causedother Galian females to go missing, never to be heard fromagain.
Her pulse soared as she tugged at the thingthat would not give even a little bit. Her ice-blue eyes widenedand her breathing became labored. The bejeweled band around herneck made no sense. It was butter soft, yet unyielding. It waslight as a feather, but heavier than a skyscraper when she tried tolift it.
“Calm down, little one.‘Twill be all right.”
Her gaze flew in thegeneral vicinity of the voice. Isar. She hadn’t been dreaming—noteven for a moment. He was here. It was nineYessat-Yearssince she’d ran fromhim, yet he’d caught her just as he’d vowed to.
“What have you done to me?”she breathed out as she forced herself to sit up. The motion wasdizzying, almost causing her to fall on her back again. Her nipplesstabbed out from under the bridal necklace. “Isar?”
